Corn-harvester.



115.305,938. PATENTBD Nov. 2s, 190s. P. T. TARBOX.

'CORN HARVESTER.

APPLIUATION FILED 06T. 6,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 805,938. I y y PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

l F. T. TARBOX.

f CUR-N HARVESTER.

AKIPLIOATION FILED 0016, 1903.

4 SHEETSLSHBBT mmgw PATBNTED Nov. 28, 1905 001m HARVESTER.

APPLIQATION FILED 00T. 6, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SBBET 3.

110.805.938. v PATENTED Nov. za, 1905..

- F. T. TARBOX.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 6, 1903.

y4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

@Afp

partly in section.

. UNITED STATES.

PATENT orrion.

` FRANK T. TARBox, or XENIA, omo.

Y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed October 6, 1903. Serial No. 175,962.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK T. TARBOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Xenia,

ting and shocking corn; and it includes mechanism for cutting thestanding corn, means whereby the cut stalks are collected, means wherebythe collected stalks may be assembled into the form of ashock, andmeanswhereby the corn in the form of a shock may be dropped from themachine.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangementof' parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a side View of a machineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine with partsomitted. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cage or receptacle in whichthe stalks are assembledinto shocks. Fig. 4 is a detail View relatingtoFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the bottom of the shocker-cage,

showing the doors thereof. Fig. 6 is a plan View of one set of carriersfor the stalks, Fig.y 7 is a detail View best shown in Figs. 1 and 2,and itfcomprises` a main frame 1, having forward extensions 1,

.which latter are of angular form and have their points 1X arranged asdividers for the corn. The main frame 1 is carried by groundwheels 2,the axles of which arejournaled in bearings 3 thereon, said axlescarrying sprocket-wheels 4, from which shafts 5 5 are driven throughsprocket-chains 6, passing over sprocket-wheels 7 on the said shafts 55'.

These shafts are axially in line with each other',

one serving for one side of the machine and the other for the othersideof the machine. These shafts 5 are journaled in bearings 8 on the frame,and near their meetingV ends each is provided with a sprocket-wheel 9,which through a sprocket-chain 10 drives .sprocket-wheels 11l onl shafts12, journaled in the frame, said shafts 12 extending horizontally andhaving beveled pinionslS thereon which mesh with beveled gears 14: onupright shafts 15, said upright shafts being connected b'y a'universaljoint 16 with inclined stubshafts 17, journaled in a bearing 18 on theframe, Fig. 1, the said stub-shafts carrying sprocket-wheels 19,aboutwhich carrier-chains 2O extend, said carrier-chains, as shown in Fig. 1,extending in an inclined position within boxes or casings 21, Fig'. 6,the lower ends of the said carrier-chains extending aroundsprocket-wheels 22, journaled in the casings.

By reference to Fig. 2 the rows of corn (indicated at w are received inthe spaces y in the frame, said spaces representing the spaces betweenthe carriers, as shown in Fig. 6. In other words, a pair of carrierscomprising a pair of chains 20, with carrier-arms 20X pivoted thereon,are arranged at each of the spaces y, one carrier-.chain being on oneside of each ofthe said space and the other chain upon the other sidethereof. The casings 21 are open on their adjacent faces, as shown inFig. 6, or on the faces next to the spaces y, and the carrier-arms 2Oare held outwardly, so as to extend in adirection across the space y, bya track 23, Fig. 6, arranged within the case, said track being adaptedvto be bornev upon" by the heel 24C of the carrier-arm when the samereaches the point 25. The carrierarm in this position will engage thecornstalk and direct the sameto the rear. As shown in Fig. 6, the.members of each pair of casings diverge slightly from each other towardthe front, so that they will with certainty ref ceive the cornstalksbetween them, and as they they are arranged horizontally instead of atan inclination.- Of these horizontal carriers there is a pair for eachof the spaces y for receiving the cornstalks, and these horizontalcarriers assist the inclined carriers in controlling the cornstalks, forthey engage the lower portions of thestalks while the inclined carriersat their upper ends engage the upper portions of the stalks. As thestalks move backwardly along the receiving spaces or channels y theyencounter the cutting mechanism, comprising the toothed cutters 30, oneset of cutters, as shown in Fig. 2, being used for each of the channelsy and said cutters being operated by pitmen 31, pivoted to crank-pins 32of disks 33 on shafts 34, journaled in the frame at 35, the said shaftsbeing rotated through gearing 36 37 from the shafts 5 5', beforementioned. The gears 37 are arranged to be shifted by levers'38 into andout of connection with a suitable clutch, (indicated generally at 39 onthe shafts 5 5'.) The cut stalks are moved by the carriers to the rearand are collected in the form of bundles against gratings 40, one foreach pair of carriers, said gratings consisting of curved arms arrangedat the rear end of the carrier mechanism and attached in any suitableway. The collecting of the stalks against this grating is assisted by anarm 41, pivotally connected to a bracke'; 42 and under tension of aspring 43, tending to hold the said arm in extended position,as shown inFig. 6, so that the cornstalks may collect against the grating and beheld bythe said arm. After a sufficient number of stalks have been thuscollected against the grating 4() an attendant by placing his armbetween the arms of the grating may grasp the bundle of stalks collectedagainst the grating and remove the same therefrom, and in this actionthe pivoted arm 41 will yield on its pivot to allow the removal of thebundle of stalks. The attendant carries this bundle of stalks toward therear of the machine and into a shocker cage or box, (representedgenerally at A, Figs. 1 and 3.) This shocker cage or box is ofsubstantially rectangular form minus afront side and cover. It isarranged within a suspension-frame consisting of uprights 39, extendingfrom the main frame on the machine, said uprights being connected,asshown in Fig. 3, by rods40 at their upper ends and by arches 41',extending transversely in relation to the machine. The sides 41X of thecage or box are provided with brackets 42', in which are journaledrollers 43', having concave peripheries adapted to run on the roundedsurfaces of the uprights 39'. The cage when in normal position rests onthe main frame of the machine, and it is preferably provided withbrackets 44, secured to its sides-and adapted to engage the side bars45vof the main frame and sustain the weight of the cage. The cage isadapted to be elevated in order to discharge the shock,

as will be hereinafter more particularly de from whence the said cordextends to a sprocket-chain 51, which passes under a sprocket-wheel 52,fixed to a shaft 53, extending from side to side of the machine andjournaled in boxes 54 on the main frame. It will be understood thatthere is one of these suspending-cords, sprocket-chains, and sprocketfwheels on each side of the machine and the shaft 53 is provided on eachof its ends with a crank-handle 55, so that by turning the shaft 53 thesuspending-cords on each side of the machine will be operated and thecage raised from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 for the purpose ofdischarging the shock. As before stated, the attendants carry thearmsful of stalks from the collecting-gratings at the rear of thecarriers into the shocking cage or box, and they pack the bundles ofstalks against the rear wall or door 56, Fig. 3, of the cage, and thestalks are heldas thus packed b v arms 57, one on each side of theshocker-cage, said arms being supported by rods 58, secured to the innersides of the side walls of the cage near tho upper edge thereof andextending from front to rear. The arms 57 are loosely pivoted to thesaid rods, and

'they have each a long` bearing 59 slidable thereon. By exertingpressure on the arms 57 near their pivots they may be pushed to the rearagainst the cornstalks to press the same closely together and uponrelieving the said arms of the pressure mentioned they will remain inthe positions to which they have been adjusted because of the backpressure exerted upon the said arms at or near their outer ends by thecornstalks, said pressure causing the long bearing to bind on the rod58, and thus hold the arms in place. When the arms are not in use, theyhang down, as shown in Fig. 3, close against the inner wall of the cage;but when in use they extend transversely and preferably horizontally ofthe cage and bear against the cornstalks. .lt will be seen that a shockof any desired size may be made within the shocker-cage by adjusting thepressure-arms. The filling of the shocker-cage to the desired extenttakes place while it is in its lowermost position. After the shock hasbeen formed and it is desired to discharge the same the cage is elevatedthrough the means before described, and the doors 60, forming the bottomof the cage, are released, so that they may fall down each into avertical position. The doors are hinged along their side edges to theframe of the cage, and their free edges when the doors are closed meetat the center of the cage-hottom. They are held in closed position bybars 61, extending parallel with and arranged adjacent the free edges ofthe said doors and on the under sides of the same, the said bars beingpivoted at their intermediate points, as at 64X, and being under tensionof springs 63. The bars are held or guided by straps 64 on the undersides of the doors. The bars 61 en- IOo gage hooks 65, Figs. and 4,carried 'by the frame, and these hooks and bars serve to hold the doorsin closed position. When, however, a shock of the desired size has beenmade and it is desired to discharge the same, the cage is elevated, asbefore described, and the attendant operates a hand-lever 66, pivoted ina bracket 67 on the frame, said hand'- lever being pivoted-to an arm 68,extending in a direction transversely of the cage and having notches 69engaging the locking-bars 61, so that the notched bar 68 will be drawnlongitudinally, and thus withdraw the bars'61 from the hooks 65, and thedoors will then swing downwardly into vertical positions by their ownweight and the weight of the shock, and the said vshock will bedeposited instanding position upon the ground. The notched bar 68 isguided by straps 70 on the frame, and it is pressed downwardly by aspring 7l to engage the locking-bars 61 when the doors 60 are againclosed. The rear wall or door 56 of the cage is hinged to the cage atone side thereof, and it is held in closed position by a locking-bar 72,Fig. 1, extending verti- 72 and release the .rear door 56, so that thesame may open, and thus permit the machine to pass on without disturbingthe shock which has just been deposited upon the ground. After the shockhas been deposited as above described the cage, th'e hinge-eyes being atlthe points 60, Fig. 5, is lowered, the doors are closed, and themachine is driven forward for repeating the operation of cutting,collecting, shocking, above described. y n

rIhe machine will operate on an' incline as on a hillside, as well askupon the level, as of course the bottom of the cage will be atthe sameinclination as the yinclination of the ground, vor substantially so, andin tying up the shock it is vsimply necessaryto have the axis of theshock vertical, so that the lower end or bottom thereof will be inclinedto correspond with the inclination of the groundl upon which it is to bedeposited.

In closing the bottom doors 60 ofthe cage the 'holding-bars 61 willstrike the catches 65 and their springs will allow them to yieldlaterally,so as to engage and be held by the said catches. In thisactionthe operatinglever 68will yield upwardlyT when struck by theholding-bars 61, and when these barsare engaged by the catches thelocking-lever will be drawn down by its spring 71, so that the and`depositing ytheV shock as notches 69 will receive the holding-bars andthe parts will be ready for another operation.

I provide on the under side of the doors 60. rubber buffers 76', adaptedto strike any suitable part of the framework and prevent shock to thedoors and the machine generally.

I claim- 1. In combination in a machine of the class described, cuttingmeans, carrying means, a

collector atthe rear end of the carrying means and a cage or box in rearof the collecting means having vertical sides against which thecornstalks are packed, said cage or box being movably supported andmeans for raising or lowering the same, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a machine of the class described a framework, meansfor cutting the corn, `a vertically-movable cage or box to receive thecut corn, said cage or box having a movable bottom, adapted to open andclose the box substantially as described.

3. In combination in a machine of the class described cutting means forthel stalks, a vertically-movable cage or box with means for operatingthe same, said cage or box having a pair of bottom doors hinged to swingdown from a closed position with means for controlling the same,substantially as described.

4. In combination in a machine of the class described, cutting means forthe cornstalks, a vertically-movable cage or box with means foroperating the same vertically to deposit the cornstalks, said cage orbox having a movable bottom door swinging downwardly andl a rear doorwith means for controlling the said doors, substantially as described.

5. In combination, cutting means for the cornstalks, avertically-movable cage or box having a bottom door swinging downwardlyand a rear door arranged to be opened and closed, the said rear doorbeing automatically released by the swinging downwardly of the bottomdoor, lsubstantially as described.

y6. In combination, cutting means, a vertically-movable cage or box, apair of bottom doors, spring-pressed pivoted rods carried by `the said`doors,'catcheson the frame toengage the saidfrods to hold the doorsclosed andfmeans for releasing the said rods from the' catches, saidmeans comprising a lever vhaving notches to engage the said rods.substantially as described.

8, In combination, cutting means, avertically-movable cage, a hingedbottom door, ha rear door, a vertically-movable rod having holding meansfor the rear door, the said rod being operated to release the rear doorby the TOO IIO

.movement of the bottom door, substantially as described.

9. In combination, cutting means and a'cage or box having a rear door arod extending along its inner side and an arm pivotally and slidablyheld by the said rod and arranged to hold the stalks between itselil andthe rear door, said arm being arranged to swing downwardly to occupy avertical position along the inner side of the cage, substantially asdescribed.

10. In combination in a machine of the class described cutting means, acage or boX arranged to have vertical movement, a suspension-frame, asprocket-wheel and sprocketchain, a rope lattached at one end to thesuspension-frame and passing under the pulley on the cage and thenceover a pulley on the suspension frame and connected to thesprocket-chain and means for operating the sprocket-wheel, substantiallyas described.

11. In combination in acorn-harvesting machine, cuttingmechanism,carrier mechanism, means against which the cut stalks are collected, avertically-movable cage or box in rear of the said collecting means andinto which the attendant carries the stalks from the collecting meansand means for raising and-lowering the cage in relation to thccollecting and carrier means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

FRANK T. TARBOX.

Witnesses:

W. L. MILLER, E. S. MILLER

